Jeffrey Treadway, left, a music teacher at Jefferson Elementary, was recognized by the Wood County Board of Education Tuesday night after representing Wood County Schools in the 137th Rosebowl Parade on New Year's Day in Pasadena. Treadway was one of four from West Virginia selected to perform with the Saluting America’s Band Directors Band, which included 329 marchers from across the United States. Also pictured is Superintendent Christie Willis. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

PARKERSBURG – The Wood County Board of Education awarded GraeCon Construction with the $6.7 million bid for the Madison Elementary renovations at its Tuesday meeting.

The expansion is designed to bring in an additional 150 students after the district closes Criss Elementary at the start of the next school year.

The board elected to hold off plans to incorporate an expanded “horseshoe” entrance from Dudley Avenue, a turn-only lane off Dudley and a dedicated entrance and exit for younger students at this time.

“We would like to take that alternate, lock in the pricing, but pay for that out of the county paving budget that we do every year,” Kaleb Lawrence, assistant superintendent of operations, said.

Lawrence said the horseshoe entrance would be the last project completed but that the Dudley Ave exit could be something the district constructs sooner.

Lawrence also talked to the board about himself and members of Pickering Associates visiting Lubeck Elementary on Tuesday to talk to students about the new school being built.

“Playgrounds was a major question asked,” Lawrence said. “They want a giant playground. How many playgrounds? Where’s it at? We did tell the teachers, when the weather’s nice, we can maybe arrange a field trip out there.”

Jason Hughes, director of Wood County Technical Center and Caperton, and lead counselor Gwen Justice talked to the board about getting equitable access to work-based learning for all Wood County seniors.

Hughes said the Career Work Skills Training (CWST) programs – traditionally limited to placements in school offices – is being broadened, with new flexibility from the West Virginia Department of Education.

“They see the need to expand that out to all work-based learning,” Hughes said.

Justice said she has been building partnerships with employers locally, statewide and even nationally to help find students a place they can work and learn.

“All students in Wood County are going to benefit from this work-based learning opportunity,” Justice said. “This initiative helps the student, the school and the county.”

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Read more about Tuesday’s meeting in the Thursday edition of the News and Sentinel.